Heritage Review - Chadron State College...National History Day competi-tion in Washington D.C. June...

Heritage ReviewMari Sandoz High Plains Heritage Center Newsletter

Issue 1 Summer 2008

‘Day of the Dead’ celebrates Mexican culture

Tabatha Murphy, intern

A new exhibit at the Mari Sandoz High Plains Heritage

Center explores the history and culture behind an important tradition in Mexico.

“A Celebration of Souls: Day

of the Dead in Southern Mexico” depicts the celebration of the spirits of the deceased through lively photographs and is on display at the Center through Aug. 28.

The colorful photographs show Mexican families celebrating Dia de Muertos or Day of the Dead by actively par-ticipating in the preparation and traditions of the holiday in and around Oaxaca, Mexico.

Day of the Dead is similar to the Christian holidays, All Saint’s Day and All Soul’s Day, in which families gather to cel-ebrate life and welcome home the spirits of their departed loved ones.

Each Nov. 1-2 participants honor the deceased with home altars that include skeleton

models, elaborate wreaths and crosses, votive lights and fresh flowers.

Each photograph portrays the rich culture and tradition of these celebrations by allowing the observer to see the hard work in preparation.

Admission is free of charge. The Center is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m.- noon and 1-4 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m.- noon. and 1-4 p.m.

The Day of the Dead exhibit is part of the traveling exhibits from The Field Museum in Chicago and is locally spon-sored by the Mari Sandoz Center General Endowment and the Chadron State College Diversity Committee.

For more information contact Sarah Polak at 308-432-6066.

Senora Augustina Alvarez Sosa cleans and adds marigolds and amaranth to the grave of her late husband. The photo is from the Day of the Dead exhibit celebrating Mexican culture on display at the Mari Sandoz High Plains Heritage Center. (Photo by Scott Vlaun/exhibit from The Field Museum in Chicago)

Coffee Gallery makes space for new exhibitsTabatha Murphy, intern

Construction on the C.F. Coffee Gallery exhibts contin-ues at the Mari Sandoz High Plains Heritage Center.

The construction and plan-ning for the past six months have made space to ac-commodate four new exhibits in the Gallery.

The addition to the Gallery will include three interactive exhibits and a research area.

The C.F. Coffee Gallery was established by descendents of Colonel C.F. Coffee in dedica-tion to the ranching heritage of the High Plains.

The Gallery is located on the lower level of the Mari Sandoz High Plains Heritage Center as a resource for the development

of the cattle industry on the High Plains.

For more information about

the Gallery or other exhibits at the Center, contact Director Sarah Polak at 308-432-6401.

This cowboy exhibit displays a saddle and other essential cowboy gear. The exhibit is part of the C.F. Coffee Gallery in the Sandoz Center (Tabatha Murphy).

Another display in the C.F. Coffee Gallery, this particular exhibit has information about the origins of the cattle ranching and the dif-ferent types of ranching systems. (Tabatha Murphy)

2 Summer 2008 Heritage Review

Upcoming exhibits explore conservation and preservation

Help complete our collections!We are always looking for items to complete our exhibits,

archives and collections. Here are some of the items we are looking for now:

• “Memory and Vision: Arts, Cultures and Lives of Plains Indian People” by Emma Hansen

• “Guardians of the Grassland” by John Rolfe BurroughsIf you have these items and would like to donate or lend

them to the Mari Sandoz High Plains Heritage Center, contact Director Sarah Polak at 308-432-6066.

This sandhill crane uses its beak to camouflage itself with mud for protection when nesting. The photograph by Michael Forsberg is part of the exhibit “On Ancient Wings” that illustrates the amazing lives and struggle for survival of these cranes. The exhibit will be on display at the Mari Sandoz High Plains Heritage Center Sept. 1- Oct. 25. (Photograph by Michael Forsberg)

“Money of the Civil War” is just one of the new exhibits that will be on display this fall at the Sandoz Center. The exhibit is one of two from the ANA Money Museum. (photo courtesy Money Museum Web site)


Two new exhibits displaying a variety of history and culture will be hosted at the Mari San-doz High Plains Heritage Center this fall.

The first exhibit “On Ancient Wings” includes 38 photographs by Nebraska author and photog-rapher Michael Forsberg. Fors-berg journeyed across North America on a five year personal project and study of the sandhill cranes.

The photographs tell the touching story of the cranes’ struggle through adaptation and survival where the threat to their habitat may result in a daunting outlook for the cranes.

Forsberg captures beautiful images of the cranes from the Alaskan tundra to the arid High Plains, and from Cuban nature preserves to suburban back-yards.

In 2004 he won the Con-servation Education Award by The Wildlife Society. His work has appeared in numerous publications including National Geographic, Natural History, National Wildlife and more.

“On Ancient Wings” will be on display Sept. 1- Oct. 25, 2008 at the Mari Sandoz High Plains Heritage Center. “On An-cient Wings” is also the title of Forsberg’s first book. For more information about the author and photographer, visit his Web site at www.michaelforsberg.com.

The second exhibit is from the American Numismatic As-sociation Money Museum. The

Money Museum is America’s largest museum dedicated to the study or collecting of coins, medals, paper money, etc.

The exhibit is actually two exhibits titled “Money in Early America” and “Money of the U.S. Civil War.” These exhibits examine the past and problems of U.S. currency in early Ameri-can history.

“Money in Early America” explores the history of currency in America from colonial times up until the founding of the U.S. Mint in 1792.

“Money of the Civil War” surveys the money during times of conflict during the Civil War. This exhibit has coins, notes and tokens, and accompanying text and photos. The exhibits will be on display Nov. 4 – Dec. 19.

For more information about these exhibits or future exhib-its at the Mari Sandoz High Plains Heritage Center, con-tact Director Sarah Polak at 308-432-6066.Looking to complete your

own collection? Visit our gift shop

Mari Sandoz High Plains Heritage Center

Heritage Review Summer 2008 3

Lucinda Mays, garden edu-cator

Anyone growing flowering plants on the High Plains of Nebraska knows it takes tough plants to hold up to dry condi-tions, alkaline soils, and high winds.

At the Sandoz Center, we are enjoying lots of beautiful blooms because we’re growing plants recommended by the late

plantsman, Claude Barr. Barr was a leader in the field, grow-ing flowering plants for seed under the toughest of west-ern South Dakota conditions. His work brings an incredible amount of knowledge about how to have beautiful plants in harsh conditions.

Barr was inducted into the South Dakota Hall of Fame in 1987. Here’s part of what the Hall of Fame folks have to say about him:

“Claude Barr home-steaded near Smithwick, SD. For decades he was a lone, self-trained botanist studying and promoting the worldwide horticultural use of the Great Plains wildflowers. His work culminated in the posthumous publication of his book “Jewels of the Plains,” a valuable guide-book to the cultivation of these plants most frequently seen only in checklists of botanic descrip-tions.

For his work, Barr was awarded the American Rock Garden Society Award of Merit, the John Robertson Memorial Medal and the first prestigious Edgar T. Wherry Memorial Award. In 1985 the Claude A. Barr Archives at Chadron State College was named for him and in 1986 the Mammoth Site of Hot Springs was created and named the Claude A. Barr Memorial Great Plains Garden in his honor.”

Here is a sampling of plants in the Claude Barr collection of plants at the Mari Sandoz High Plains Heritage Center. All plants listed are usually available at specialty nurseries. Many are labeled as, “Great Plants for the Great Plains,”

plants recommended by the University of Nebraska and the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum.

Pasque FlowerPulsatilla patensBlue SageSalvia pitcheriHarebellCampanula rotundifoliaGoldenrodSolidago speciosa Prairie SmokeGeum triflorum Plains VerbenaGlandularia bipinnatifida var.

bipinnatifida Shell-Leaf PenstemonPenstemon grandiflorus Stemmy Four-Nerve DaisyTetraneuris scaposa var.

scaposaAmerican Columbine Aquilegia canadensisMissouri PrimroseOenothera macrocarpaAsterAster laevisMaximilian Sunflower Helianthus maximilianiSpiderwortTradescantia tharpiiAnise HyssopAgastache foeniculumPurple Prairie CloverDalea purpurea

Horticulture update: Claude Barr plants blooming at Sandoz Center

by Ann Greenia, archivist

The archival processing of the Caroline Sandoz Pifer Col-lection continues to be reward-ing, challenging and exciting.

No two days of work and research are ever the same! Work on the collection has been focused on completing the shelf guide/ finding aid and processing the remaining collection items. The Center continues to receive research and information requests from inquiring individuals and schol-ars regarding Mari’s work.

Dr. Kathy Bahr, professor of English and Literature on the campus of Chadron State Col-

lege, has asked me to continue to assist her with research for her paper focusing on Mari Sandoz’s The Tom Walker, regarding Nietzsche’s Will to Power.

I have continued my professional development by attending a workshop for our PastPerfect Museum Software program in Norfolk, Neb. At the end of June, I will be travel-ing to Denver, Colo., attended conference for “Collaboration in the Digital Age,” concern-ing collection digitization of America’s small museums and libraries.

I also completed an online archive course which has been

of great benefit for my work here at the Center.

The price of gasoline is discouraging. I know this all too well, commuting from Hot Springs, So. Dak., 120 miles round-trip everyday, to work here at the archives. The love for my work keeps me going, though.

I hope that people are inspired to rethink what is truly important in their lives. What a fantastic time to revisit your local libraries and museums. Think of how many things in life there are to do that do not involve the consumption of gasoline. There are new worlds waiting to be discovered, new

people to meet, great exhibits to view and new adventures to experience through books and visiting museums. Have a fantastic summer, filled with great books, great friends and great experiences. Make it the best summer of your life.

Here is the quote that appears on Mari Sandoz’s headstone: “If I could endow every young person in Nebraska and in the world with two things and two things only I should choose not beauty or fame or power, or riches, I should choose to endow you with courage and a love for reading.”

Caroline Sandoz Pifer Collection: archive update

Left:This beautiful plant is Salvia Pitcheri, often referred to as Pitcher Sage, Blue Sage or Prairie Sage. Above: This bright rose is the yellow Missouri Primrose (Onagraceae). Both are part of the Claude Barr Collection located in the front of the Sandoz Center. (Tabatha Murphy).


Students experience history throughMoni Hourt, Director of Out-

reach for the Sandoz Center

Ten students from western Nebraska competed in the National History Day competi-tion in Washington D.C. June 14-19. All projects this year were built around the theme of “Conflicts and Compromises in History.”

One student, Luke Prosser of Crawford, topped the pre-liminary round advancing to final competition where he took fifth in the nation in the Web page category, a new category added to the competition this year. His Web page explored the life and legacy of William F. Cody.

“Every year I decide I’m not going to do it again next year,” Prosser said, “Then January rolls around and I find myself involved in researching another subject. I like the fact that I never know exactly what I’ll find when I get started.

‘When I started research-ing William F. Cody, my initial thought was that his images had compromised the history of the West. I discovered his life and his legacy was much more complicated than that.”

Prosser was the only stu-dent from the Western District to make a repeat trip to the national competition. This is the second year in a row that he has advanced to the finals round.

In 2007, he placed second in the nation in the individual documentary division. In the last five years, Prosser has qualified in three different categories for the national competition.

Tracy Witt, a senior from Crawford, competed as an independent entry taking sixth in the individual performance of the preliminary round. Witt’s original script revolved around hemophiliac, Ryan White, whose battle and death from AIDS in 1990 spotlighted AIDS as a world-wide problem.

“Just being at Nationals was an incredible experience.” Witt said. “I was getting ready to do my presentation when it suddenly hit me that I was at a national contest. It was a bit overwhelming to say the least. I would have liked to have made the finals, but I did get to watch many group and individual per-formances. I learned a great deal just by watching the other competitors. I only wish I had another year to compete.”

Nicky and Jazmine Apple-garth and Lydia McFee attend the Prairie Home School south of Chadron. A classmate had qualified for the final round at the national competition in 2007.

They thought it would be interesting to get involved and started their project by writing research papers on different aspects of the Depression and the Dust Bowl. Their group exhibit explored the impact the time period had on the people and the land.

Although the exhibit was col-laboration, several key com-ponents were the brain child of Lydia McFee. She used her research on the conflicts and compromises made by the people, but wanted to go even further to give viewers an idea of the turmoil faced by those who survived the time period.

The group finished fourth in the preliminary round of the

group exhibit category.“There were so many great

exhibits on display at Nation-als, row after row of them. I felt a little bad that we didn’t make the finals, but I felt really good that we made it as far as we did.”

The four seventh and eighth grade students from Harrison Elementary, Kelly Woodrum, Mallory McCormick, Cori Kling and Casey Shaw, had compet-ed in History Day in the past, but had never qualified for the National competition.

This year the group won the state championship for elementary performance and took fourth in the junior group performance category in the preliminary round at the Na-tional competition.

Their performance explored the role of women in the military from the Revolutionary War to the present. They cre-ated a “book” as the setting for their script.

Kelly Woodrum, Mallory McCormick, Cori Kling and Casey Shaw, from Harrison Elementary, perform an act exploring the role of women in the military from the Revolutionary War to the present. The group won the state championship for elementary perfor-mance, advancing them to the national competition (Moni Hourt).

Nicky and Jazmine Applegarth and Lydia McFee stand in front of their exhibit about the Depression and Dust Bowl. The group finished fourth in the preliminary round of the group exhibit category at National History Day in Wash-ington, D.C.

The group stops for a quick photo during their busy time at the national competition. The group included ten students from the Western District who traveled to Washington D.C., after placing in the state competition in March. (Photo courtesy Moni Hourt)


(continued from page 4)“We’d spent most of May

building our set and completing our bibliography,” Casey Shaw who portrayed today’s military

woman said. “We didn’t change our script much after state, but we worked pretty hard the last two weeks to get our charac-ters right.”

The individual exhibit created by Meggan Federle of Harri-son revolved around President Harry Truman’s decision to drop the atomic bomb. Federle took seventh in the individual exhibit category at the national competition.

Many of the images in the exhibit and in her slide-show, including some of the aftermath of the bombing at Nagasaki, came from her grandfather’s scrapbooks.

“I never knew my grandfa-ther, but I felt much closer to him after I finished my project.” Meggan said. “I also hadn’t thought much about dropping the atomic bomb and all the fear it caused. Now I do.”

History Day is a research based program that started in 1974 when a history professor in Cleveland, Ohio, Dr. David Van Tassel, sought a way to make learning history more exciting for elementary and secondary students.

He and his colleagues cre-ated a one-day competition at the University to exhibit the students’ research-based proj-ects. By 1980, National History Day had grown into a national organization.

To compete in the National contest, students had to finish

in the top three at the district contest at the Sandoz Center in March, and then in the top two at the state contest in April.

Approximately 3000 students from across the United States. competed in this year’s national competition. Participants at the national contest have the oppor-tunity to win up to $5,000 and university scholarships.

The Western District compe-tition is sponsored by Chadron State College in Chadron, Neb., the Ron and Naomi Hull Fund, and Diane Dufva Quantic Fund. The state competition is spon-sored by Nebraska Wesleyan University in Lincoln.

Hourt is a northwest Nebras-ka native and was a teacher at Glen School in Sioux County. She was presented the National Rural Education Association’s Teacher of the Year Award in 2004.

She also received Peter Kiewit Foundation Nebraska Teacher Achievement Awards in 1996 and 2000 and was the Northwest Region’s Wal-Mart Teacher of the Year in 2002.

Moni was recently featured in the documentary “Beef State” produced by Nebraska Public Television.

National History Day competition

Meggan Federle of Harrison makes some final adjustments to her exhibit. Federle’s exhibit revolved around President Truman’s deci-sion to drop the atomic bomb. She used images from her grandfa-ther’s scrapbook for both the exhibit and slide-show. Federle was one of the ten who traveled with Moni Hourt, former teacher and Director of Outreach for the Sanoz Center. (Moni Hourt)

Shelly Smith, Sandoz Elementary and Tabatha Mur-phy, intern

Students, staff and spe-cial guests of Mari Sandoz Elementary School in Omaha celebrated the 40th Anniver-sary of the school May 21.

Sandoz Elementary, opened in September 1967, was the fifth elementary school built by the Millard Public School District. The celebration was marked with several special events.

Omaha World Herald staff photographer Matt Miller

visited the school to share his photography featuring images from a recent trip across Ne-braska on Highway 20.

Part of the project was a time-lapse presentation of a crabbapple tree believed to have been planted by Mari’s father, Jules. The students were also able to view many pictures of the area where Mari Sandoz grew up.

A formal presentation for the entire school began with remarks from Superintendant Dr. Keith Lutz followed by two guest speakers, Kirstin Maurstad-Ricketts and Phyllis

Stone. Maurstad-Ricketts spoke at

the 25th anniversary celebra-tion as the student council president.

Stone shared her stories about her Native American heritage and the importance of Sandoz’s work in the lives of the Native Americans. It is good for the kids to under-stand that Mari was a real per-son who had real experiences, not just someone they have read about, said Stone.

During the assembly the students were recognized for their achievements and efforts.

Staff also allowed parents to help present awards to their children.

“Its important for students’ efforts to be recognized because it helps them feel motivated,” Stone said. “The teachers here are very com-passionate.”

Parents were invited to attend an all-school picnic, an annual tradition at Sandoz elementary and sang “Happy Birthday” to conclude the celebration.

There is also a Sandoz Elementary in Lexington, Neb. which was dedicated in 1978.

Sandoz Elementary celebrates 40th anniversary



The Mari Sandoz High Plains Heritage Center has provided great opportunities for many students to learn and work in a museum environment.

I am fortunate to be one of the many beneficiaries of an internship at the Center and am grateful for this opportunity to improve my skills and learn more about not only my area of study, but also about the importance of the work done at the Sandoz Center.

The internship experience at the Center is for credit and should support the academic courses and career goals in the appropriate field of study for each student, said Sarah Polak, Director of the Sandoz Center.

The Don and Elenor Green Internship for the summer

semester in 2008 provides the opportunity for a student to research, write, design and lay out a newsletter for the Mari Sandoz High Plains Heritage Center in collaboration with the Director.

It also provides a learning experience for students to be-come familiar with the museum publications and the operations and services of the Center.

I am a communication arts major with a Journalism empha-sis at Chadron State College. I have experience with news writ-ing, design, photography, layout and some publication through my studies and my work at the campus newspaper, The Eagle.

I am excited about my internship because I am able to use the skills I have learned and improve them with a publication and area different from my work in the past.

I think this internship will give me a new insight into Commu-nication Arts and make me well-rounded in my work experience and knowledge.

I have enjoyed the process and have learned so much dur-ing the course of my interviews, research and interaction with the staff of the Sandoz Center.

Because this is a learning process for me in which I re-ceive credit, I would love to hear your comments and feedback. Please feel free to contact me at [email protected].

Thank you to the donors of the Don and Elenor Green

Internship, to all the donors who make these opportunities avail-able to students like me and also a big thank you to Director Sarah Polak.

For more information about internships or giving for intern-ships, contact Sarah Polak at (308) 432-6066.

Meet the Staff: The Don and Elenor Green Intern

How can you help? Donations from supporters like you help the Mari Sandoz High Plains Heritage Center in many areas of operation, re-search, resources and much more. Here are some of the types of projects supported by endowments:

• Acquisition and preservation of archival materials including Materials Reflecting the Settlement of the Region

• Mari Sandoz High Plains Heritage Center area of greatest need

• Internships • Publications • Promotion of understanding American Indian culture

in the High Plains • High Plains Lecture Series • Ranching exhibits • Range and Forage Crop Management and Agronomy

Research • Institutes and workshops • Educational programming and activities • Stipends for researchers to use the archival resourc-

es of the Center.

Thank YouThank you to all of our donors for your help and generosity.

Several endowments have helped us in the last year. Here are just a few of the accomplishments the Endowment Funds have accomplished in 2007-2008:

• Support of One Book, One Nebraska 2007 projects • Sandoz Center 5th Anniversary events • Purchase of collection supplies • Support of Temporary exhibitions • Nebraska Western District History Day • Supplies for educational outreach programs • Center equipment purchases • Exhibition supplies including cabinetry •Internships

For more information about how you can help with these and other projects, contact Sarah Polak, Director of the Mari Sandoz High Plains Heritage Center, at 308-432-6066.

The Don and Elenor Green Intern- Tabatha Murphy

New interns this fallThis fall two new interns

will join the staff of the Mari Sandoz High Plains Heritage Center, Kim Davis and Corey Petersen.

Davis is a Legal Studies major and has previously worked in Support Services at the Sandoz Center. As an intern she will be working on legal aspects of museum

work.Petersen is a Range

Management major from Merriman, Neb. She will spend her internship working with the Heritage Gardens at the Center, specifically the Native American Medicinal Planting.

Printing Costs for the Heritage Re-view underwritten by Sandoz Center Endowment


Sue (Coffee) Rusie, First Tuesday Book Group

Members of the First Tues-day Book Group of Omaha visited the Mari Sandoz High Plains Heritage Center on June 18.

The women made the trip to explore the origins of Mari Sandoz and her 1942 novel, “Crazy Horse.” Their selection of “Crazy Horse” was spurred by its selection for the One Book, One Nebraska initiative in 2007.

Upon their arrival at the Cen-ter, Director Sarah Polak led the women on a tour of the Sandoz exhibits and gardens, and later participated in their book discus-sion. They asked her about Native Americans’ perceptions of Sandoz’s work, and about the factual accuracy of the book.

The discussion took interest-ing new turns when she asked the group how their understand-ing of the story might have been affected by current events in Iraq. To complete their visit to the Center, the women met with archivist Ann Greenia, and toured the Coffee Gallery.

The book group’s trip itiner-

ary was planned by member Nancy Gallagher to include as many activities as possible. In just four days, in addition to the Sandoz Center and Coffee Gallery, the group visited the Sandhills Country Club; Sandoz home- and grave-sites; Museum of the Fur Trade; Fort Robin-son State Park (where they were given a guided tour by Fort Robinson Museum curator Tom Buecker); Coffee Warbon-net Ranch in Sioux County; and Crazy Horse Monument in South Dakota.

The country was particularly beautiful because of recent rains, and the women remarked often on the beauty of the ter-rain and the great variety of wild flowers, birds and wildlife.

Of the visit to the Sandoz gravesite, member Eva Jay said she was especially struck by the huge sky and the sound of the wind. She said, the sound of the wind blowing across the open grassland has been described by many writers, but it has to be experienced to be appreciated.

The First Tuesday Book Group celebrated its 25th anniversary last year. Of 15 members total, those visiting the

Center included Paula Ashford, Nancy Behringer, Nancy Gal-lagher, Eva Jay, Linda Johnson, Ruth Keene, Jane Olson, Terrie Ringwalt and Sue Rusie, all of Omaha.

The group has read Ne-braska authors in the past, including Jonis Agee, Bess Streeter Aldrich, Willa Cather, Tillie Olsen, and Wright Morris. However this was the first time they traveled as a group to fur-

ther explore the roots of a book or its author.

Other works on their reading list this year include Let Us Now Praise Famous Men, James Agee; Tender is the Night, F. Scott Fitzgerald; Indian Killer, Sherman Alexie; and Tortilla Curtain, T.C. Boyle. Next up: The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, Michael Chabon.

Book club visits center to experience Mari Sandoz

Members of the First Tuesday Book Club stand next to the statue of Mari Sandoz. The club is made of members from Omaha and has been in existence for 26 years. They traveled to the area after read-ing one of Mari Sandoz’s books. This is the first time the members have traveled outside of Omaha as a group. (Photo from Sue Rusie)


Former Chairman of the Board of Directors for the San-doz Society and Dean Emeritus of Liberal Arts at Chadron State College, Dr. Donald E. Green, visited to the Mari Sandoz High Plains Heritage Center this summer.

Green took a driving trip to the Chadron area to introduce his new bride, Dr. Mary Jane Nelson, to friends, former co-workers and the end product of his hard work.

Staff of the Sandoz Center visited with Nelson and Green, and listened to Green’s great stories about all those who worked to build Sandoz Center and revive the Sandoz Society.

Green started at CSC in

1990, taking over Dr. Michael Cartwright’s position as Dean of Liberal Arts (formerly known as Dean of Humanities and Social Sciences).

*Cartwright told Green about his work with the Sandoz Soci-ety, the Mari Sandoz materials and artifacts on campus and the hopes to build a Mari Sandoz Center on campus in the old library.

After the two discussed the topic again in a meeting they decided to what Green called “breathe” new life into the Sandoz Society and through the Society work towards building a Sandoz Center.

They immediately started suggesting names of individu-als to serve on the Mari Sandoz Heritage Society Board and the

efforts to build the long awaited Sandoz Center kicked off.

It started as The Heritage Room, a room on the second floor of the Administration Build-ing which displayed the materi-als and artifacts of Mari Sandoz left to the college by the late Lloy Chamberlain. In 1991, they held the first Sandoz Confer-ence on Mari’s birthday.

There were many ups and downs as Green, the Board and others worked toward opening the Center. While it was a long and sometimes difficult process, Green said all those people who worked with him and the members of the board kept him pushing to finish it.

Jeanne Bishop worked to bring grants in to help with costs.

By 2002, the construction on the old library was finished along with the Chicoine Atrium donated by Vern and Madge Fortune Chicoine. Thus the Mari Sandoz High Plains Heritage Center was opened and began its mission.

Green mentioned names of the many people who worked diligently to see the Sandoz Center and many contributions that also helped pave the way. “One thing led to another,” he said.

Green has retired and is spending time with his new wife. He was honored the Spirit of Sandoz Award in 2006 at the Center and he presented his paper, “Mari and Me.”

Sandoz Center receives a visit from a dear friend


Quantity and quality are major con-cerns for High Plains water supply


While oil prices are a concern for most Americans, residents of the High Plains are also concerned about a different natural resource: water. With a drought that has lasted nearly eight years, many are concerned about the declining water levels.

According to a news release from National Geographic in June 2005, the High Plains have been ravaged by a cycle of droughts for thousands of years. Scientific studies have found evidence that the cyclical droughts are not abnormal, but may be getting a boost from global warming.

How is this affecting local water supplies? Despite recent increases in rainfall, the drought has left important water sources like the Ogallala Aquifer, the Angostura Reservoir, Pactola Dam and other water sources at only 75 percent capacity.

Many in the High Plains are also concerned about continued ethanol production and corn irrigation in areas irrigated by the Ogallala Aquifer, which may also deplete water levels.

The declining levels are a concern for many reasons. Sur-face water plants utilize natural flows in creeks, but times of drought often leave the creeks with little or no natural flow.

In these instances, water plants must utilize their water rights, said Rusty Schmidt, field operations supervisor for the Rapid Valley Water Department. Aquifers are different, Schmidt said. Once an aquifer has dried up from drought there is nothing left to be done.

Water rights are the legal right to use a certain supply of water and were established

to help regulate water supply. Because water rights go by se-niority many areas must petition to go beyond their water rights.

With the concern of sustain-ability, many residents in these areas are wondering what can be done to help the water sup-ply.

In the Chadron area, some people are calling for the help of Brenda Beeson.

According to an article in the Chadron Record May 5 2008, Beeson, who practices “water witching,” has found more work in the time of drought. Beeson said many people are having to drill new or replacement wells in their pastures because shallow

wells have dried up and stock watering dams are going dry.

Efforts are also being made by staff and students on the Chadron State College campus. People, Planet and Prosperity or the P-3 group, is a student-led research group studying the sustainability of the natural resources within the Chadron Creek watershed.

The group was selected by the Environmental Protec-tion Agency to compete for a $75,000 grant during the Na-tional Sustainable Design Expo in Washington, D.C., in April.

The CSC P-3 group will de-velop and implement a sustain-ability model to revitalize the Chadron Creek watershed. The watershed has been degraded by ash runoff from recent forest fires and intensive grazing.

The project is ongoing, said member of the P-3 Group, Jen-nifer Balmat. The goals of the project are to establish baseline information for the health and

sustainability of the watershed and eventually add additional watersheds.

“This work has never been done before, so it’s going to take some time,” Balmat said.

The project has grown to en-compass work from many other fields including microbiology, history, economics and more.

The project has also devel-oped a way for any small group without prior scientific training to monitor and test health and sustainability with limited equip-ment. “The model is to work in any other watershed, “ said Balmat.

The P-3 Group is open to any student interested in any major or field.

(Water topics continued on next page)

(Handwerk, Brian. “Plains drought cycle has long history, ominous future,” National Geographic News. June 14, 2005.

Ledbetter, George. “Water witch” finds more work during drought,” Chad-ron Record. May 5, 2008)

Declining water levels increase concern in the MidwestTips for

conservation:Tips from Federal Emer-

gency Management Agency (FEMA)

• Take shorter showers• Repair dripping faucets• Do not use running

water to thaw meat or other frozen foods

• Do not pour water down the drain if it can be used again

• Replace your shower-head with an ultra-low flow version

• Don’t let the water run while you are brushing your teeth

• Wash a load of laundry only when the washer is fully loaded or set the water level for the size of your load

• Store drinking water in the refrigerator so you don’t have to run water waiting for it to cool

Chadron State student Justin Lemmer, kneeling, is assisted by range science professor Dr. Chuck Butterfield in carrying out a vegetation survey near Chadron Creek while Kim Davis observes riparian vegetation (Photo by Daniel Blinkard).


Joelle Seligson, American Association of Museums AVISO Newsletter

Floodwaters swept through the Midwest in June, impairing some museums and devastating others.

Of at least a dozen flood-damaged museums, some still have several feet of water in their galleries. The Heritage Emergency Na-tional Task Force, of which the American Association of Museums is a member, has compiled a full list of institutions that have submitted damage reports or requested assistance.

Iowa institutions were among the hardest hit. In Cedar Rapids, five feet of water drenched almost half the objects in the African American Historical Museum and Cultural Center of Iowa.

The nearby Mother Mosque of America, the country’s oldest standing mosque, was filled with 10–12 feet of water, destroying the basement that houses the museum’s lecture hall and many of its artifacts.

The interior walls of the National Czech and Slovak Museum and Library, also in Cedar Rapids, “dissolved like wafers” in the face of nearly ten feet of water, according to the museum’s website.

Museum staff and volunteers and local support groups are working vigorously to contain the damage and salvage what is left. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is offering assistance to counties throughout the Midwest.

In addition, the National Endowment for the Humanities has an-nounced it will provide up to $1 million in disaster recovery assis-tance to institutions affected by the floods.

Severe weather in the Midwest leaves problems for museums

Citizens, officials make efforts to improve local water qualityTabatha Murphy, intern

Water quality has become a concern as local uranium mining and other pollutants are considered to be a threat to the water supply. Citizens are speaking out and many groups are taking action to ensure better quality water in their neighborhoods.

Concerns about quality of water were raised in January when the Mari Sandoz High Plains Heritage Center hosted hearings for testimony on the Crow Butte uranium mine expansion.

At the hearings, a panel from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission listened to objec-tions to the mine expansion.

An article in the Chadron Record in January said objec-

tions were heard in large part from Tom Cook of Chadron and Debra White Plume of Pine Ridge, the Slim Buttes Agricul-tural Development Corporation, Owe Aku, a non-profit Ogalalla-Lakota cultural group from Pine Ridge and the Western Nebraska Resources Council.

The existing mine produces about 800,00 pounds of ura-nium each year which is used in the nuclear fuel industry. The expansion would open up mining about half a mile north of Crawford.

According to the article, those opposing the mine are worried about the underground water supply.

Contamination of the water is possible, according to the attorney for Tom Cook, the Slim Buttes development group and

the Western Nebraska Re-sources Council.

Attorneys for the NRC and Crow Butte argued against the objections saying that the Chadron aquifer is separated from other water bearing layers by 100-200 feet.

But a counter debate was made with a statement from geology teacher Hannan LaGarry who said fractures in the underground layers allow intermingling of aquifers.

Battles with the uranium mining are still in mid-struggle not only in the Crawford area. And as the P-3 group from CSC works on the Chadron Creek watershed, other groups and of-ficials are working toward water conservation and quality in their own areas.

The Rapid Valley water

department near Rapid City, So. Dak. opened a water treatment plant to better serve its neigh-borhood last year. The plant uses raw water from the Rapid Creek.

The water treatment plant is a micro-filtration plant that uti-lizes Ultra Violet disinfection for inactivation to get rid of viruses and bacteria.

It also uses chlorine disinfec-tion, said Rusty Schmidt, field operations supervisor. These processes bring the water impurities well below the state standard, thus making cleaner water for citizens in the area.

(Ledbetter, George. “Nuclear Regula-tory Commission hears testimony on Crow Butte mine expansion” Chadron Record. January 23, 2008)

Tri-City Tribune Online Edition

(Retrieved July 9, 2008)

A “Heat Burst,” which is described by weather officals as a rare occurrence, created a major disturbance in Cozad early last Thursday.

The storm according to me-teorologists, “Is a downdraft of hot and dry air that typically occurs in the evening or over-night hours. It is much more rare than a severe thunder-storm. Thus, the atmospheric conditions have to be just right for a heat burst to occur.

‘Two characteristics for a storm are that air must start its descent from fairly high up and the environmental air aloft needs to be very dry. Not only is the air in a heat burst anomalously hot, but it is also extremely dry.”

The storm in Cozad did produce extremely warm tem-

peratures for the early morn-ing hour when it occurred, and winds ranged upwards to 70 mph.

Damage in Cozad was ex-tensive, particularly for trees, as many were uprooted and crashed upon some buildings and vehicles.

The 100th Meridian Muse-um was among the locations plagued by the storm. Exces-sive roof damage resulted at the facility; in addition, some contents were also damaged by rainfall.

At the Museum, a portion of the roof above the kitchen, hallway and storeroom area was damaged. Judy Andres, a Museum director said, “The rain soaked the ceiling and it fell down.

A few old business ma-chines, scrapbooks, a box of doilies and some small items were lost. ”

Midwest floods devastated museumsHeat Burst causes major damage



Our congressmen and women have been working hard. Here are some of the federal bills that have been introduced this year by sena-tors and representatives from around the country.

For more information on these bills and resolutions or any others, visit www.thomas.gov or www.govtrack.us

• House Resolution 5893- “Library of Congress Sound Recording and Film Preserva-tion Programs Reauthorization Act of 2008”

House Resolution 5893 was introduced by Pennsylvania Rep. Robert Brady in April. This bill according to the Library

of Congress Web site, www.thomas.gov, is “to reauthorize the sound recording and film preservation programs of the Li-brary of Congress, and for other purposes.” In June, the bill was on motion and agreed by voice vote to pass.

• Senate Bill 2893- “Ludlow Massacre National Historic Landmark Act”

This bill is intended to designate a battlefield area in Colorado. A day-long battle be-tween coal miners on strike and the Colorado National Guard resulted in several deaths, including two women and 11 children, in 1914.

The event sparked a re-sponse from President Wood-row Wilson who sent U.S. Army

troops to the location. The bill will officially designate the loca-tion as the Ludlow Massacre National Historic Landmark.

It was introduced by Colo-rado Sen. Ken Salazar. In April the bill was read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. (Information taken from Library of Congress Web site www.thomas.gov).

• Legislation for unclaimed works

“The Orphan Works Act of 2008” (House Resolution 5889) and the “Shawn Bentley Orphan Works Act of 2008” (Senate Bill 2913) were introduced this year to help bring unclaimed or “orphan” works to the public domain.

According to a press release by the American Association of Museums, the bills will set up a process to make orphan works publicly accessible after efforts have been made to identify and find copyright holders. The bill was introduced by Sen. Patrick Leahy from Vermont and was placed on the Senate Legisla-tive Calendar in May.

“The Orphan Works Act of 2008” was introduced by Cali-fornia Rep. Howard Berman and was forwarded by the Subcom-mittee to the Full Committee in the House in May.

Nebraska legislation is al-ready ahead of the effort of the bills and resolutions congress is trying to pass at a federal level.

Legislation Watch: New legislation could affect museums

Blanca Stransky, National Park Service

The Fossil Freeway is a cor-ridor of paleontological wonders that begins in western Nebraska and crosses into South Dakota.

The area is famous for its fossils housed in numerous sites and museums.

In a proclamation signed by Nebraska Governor Dave Heineman, “The Wildcat Hills Nature Center is the gateway to the fossil freeway showcasing the prehistoric journey con-necting western Nebraska and South Dakota to Interstate 80 and 90.”

An ancient river once flowed along Wildcat Ridge just south of Gering, Neb. During a free-way expansion project in 2000, fossilized bones of 46 species that lived 23 million years ago were discovered along the Ridge.

These fossil deposits are one of North America’s most diverse and significant discoveries of early Miocene mammals.

In the badlands of Scotts Bluff National Monument, visitors may discover oreodonts and tortoises approximately 30 million years old. The bedrock

in this area is a mixture of siltstone and volcanic ash from ancient volcanoes located today in New Mexico and Colorado.

At Agate Fossil Beds, visitors can learn about a death event involving hundreds of Miocene mammals, including the frightening Dinohyus, the “T-Rex of the Plains.

Approximately, 30 minutes from Agate Fossil Beds at the Trailside Museum, one can view the remains of two huge mammoths tragically locked in combat.

The fossil animals at

Toadstool Geological Park are reminiscent of present day Africa, because there are rhino, hippo-like animals, saber tooth cats, land tortoises, and alliga-tors but these mammals are millions and millions years old!

Continuing on the Fossil Freeway, we discover where 10,000 years ago, people of the Alberta culture killed 600 bison. Today, visitors witness paleontology and archeology in action, as these ancient animals are uncovered by modern man at the Hudson-Meng Bison Kill Site.

Crossing into South Dakota, at the Mammoth Site, we dis-cover a 20,000 square-foot visi-tor center enclosing an active dig site where scientists believe that as many as 100 Ice Age mammoths died about 26,000 years ago.

Our journey ends at Bad-lands National Park where we find the world’s richest Oligo-cene Epoch fossils that are 23 to 35 million years old.

Development of the Fossil Freeway concept continues to take place thanks to partner-ships between local, state, and federal agencies working to-gether to educate the American public about these wonderful treasures. One of the groups dedicated to promoting the concept is The Fossil Freeway Coalition.

The Coalition’s goal is to create national awareness for the unique paleontologi-cal resources of the Nebraska Panhandle and South Dakota Badlands/Black Hills Region by developing new and enhanced programs to attract visitors who will stay longer to enjoy the natural, historical, and recre-ational opportunities along the Fossil Freeway.

Fossil Freeway Coalition hopes to create national awareness

This fossil is from the Mammoth Site in Hot Springs, So. Dak. The Site is one of the many stops on the Fossil Freeway (Photo cour-tesy Blanca Stransky).


• “Create your own cardboard ship and

set sail for an adventure...”


Gas prices are breaking not only our piggy banks, but our plans for summer vacation. With the price per gallon predicted to hit $5 by mid-July, many families are staying at home this summer.

While we may not be thrilled by the idea of not leaving home, there are ways to help make your “staycation” a fun time. Here are some tips for economi-cally friendly staycations:

• Don’t forget it’s a vacation. Just because you may be at home doesn’t mean your time off isn’t still a vacation. Plan activities for the family like camping, hiking, swimming and more. Your body is still going to need some of that vitamin D so don’t just stay inside watching TV. Get out and soak up some sun and fun.

• Help your local community by spending some money. Its important to remember that you are not the only one suffering

from gas prices and an eco-nomic recession. If you’re not traveling for financial reasons, chances are many families like your own are also staying home.

These decisions will affect even your own community as tourists will not be filing in dur-ing the summer months.

If you’re saving money by not using gas then take advan-tage of the local tourist spots. Many people have visited only their town’s local tourist spots a few times. Most sightseer at-tractions change their exhibits, displays and activities often, so you may be in for something new.

Another good reason to spend some money is to boost the national economy. Those checks you received in the mail were not randomly called Eco-nomic Stimulus Checks.

I’m not suggesting you spend your entire check in a retail store. Everyone tightens their budget during a recession and we all have made plans for the extra money, but don’t forget to put a little back in to the system.

• Make your own adventure. Perhaps you’ve seen everything

in your town several times, you work at the local museum or there is a lack of hills to hike in the surrounding area. Use your creativity to make your own “dream” vacation.

Fill a small swimming pool with sand, break out the swimwear, beach chairs and umbrella drinks for a day at the beach.

Bring your cameras, sun-glasses and sun hats and play tourist…those tourist attrac-tions you’ve seen a hundred times are always more fun if you’re speaking in an English or French accent. Kids are always helpful when it comes to using the imagination.

Don’t forget about all those travel movies like “Pirates of the Caribbean.” Create your own cardboard ship and set sail for an adventure with friends and family without worrying about the curse of the Black Pearl.

Staycations are a great time to relax and reconnect. How often do we say “I would love to have lunch, but I don’t have time.” With a staycation you can visit a local eatery or have people over.

Whatever your summer plans are remember staycations

are what you make them: have fun and be safe.

Latest travel trends lean toward staycations

Local Attractions

Make your staycation fun by visiting a local tourist attraction. Here are several great tourist spots in our neighborhood. For more in-formation about destinations and activities in your area contact your local chamber of commerce.

In the Chadron area: Mu-seum of Fur Trade, Chadron State Park, Dawes County Historical Museum, Mari Sandoz High Plains Heri-tage Center, Fort Robinson Museum

In the Rapid City area: Reptile Gardens, Journey Museum, Bear Country, Museum of Geology, Black Hills Caverns, Black Hills Maze, Cosmos Mystery Area, Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse Memorial, Ev-ans Plunge, The Mammoth Site, and so many more!

Nebraska Department of Travel and Tourism

LINCOLN, NEB. (May 5, 2008) According to the 2008 edition of the AAAís Annual Vacation Costs Survey,

Nebraska is the second most affordable vacation desti-nation in the country. Average lodging costs in the state are $100.33 and average meal costs in the state are $59.32, totaling $159.65 per day, ac-cording to the survey.

The above figures are for a two-bedroom hotel room for two adults and an extra person charge for two children. The meal cost includes three meals per person for four people,

excluding beverages, taxes and gratuity.

Nebraska visitors will pay well below the $244 per day recommended travel budget for food and lodging to cover two adults traveling together in North America, according to the AAA survey.

“Nebraska’s affordability has always been alluring to travel-ers,” said Christian Hornbaker, director of the Nebraska Depart-ment of Economic Develop-ment’s Travel and Tourism Division.

“What we want to do is educate tourists about what they can get for their money, and how far it really can go in Nebraska.”

The top five most affordable destinations, in order from least expensive to most, were North Dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Iowa and South Dakota. The most expensive destination was Hawaii, followed by the District of Columbia, New York, Nevada and Florida.

AAA has been tracking vacation costs since 1950, when the average daily cost for meals and lodging was $13. AAA is North America’s larg-est motoring and leisure travel organization and has more than 51 million members.

Start planning your afford-able Nebraska vacation now at www.VisitNebraska.org

Nebraska travelers get more for their money


Inside this issue: • Upcoming Exhibits • Archive Update • Horticulture Update • National History Day • Your Donations • Legislation Watch • Water Issues • Staycations • And more!

August• Present - 17 Post Playhouse at Fort Robinson alternating “Oklahoma,” “South

Pacific” and “Guys and Dolls”• Present- 25 “Day of the Dead” exhibit on display at the Mari Sandoz High

Plains Heritage Center• 25 Chadron State College fall semester begins• 29- Sept. 26 Galaxy Series: Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery - “From Particle to

Planet”• 29- Sept. 26 Galaxy Series: William Sutton : Photography ExhibitSeptember• 1- Oct. 25 “On Ancient Wings: The Sandhill Cranes of North America” exhibit

by Michael Forsberg on display at the Mari Sandoz High Plains Heritage Center• 26 Galaxy Series - Chapter 6 a cappella jazz ensemble- Memorial Hall 7-9

p.m.•28 History Day in Action Day- Dawes County Historical SocietyOctober• 1- 24 Galaxy Series: Matt Flint: Contemporary Painting Exhibit• 14 Coffee Gallery event “Sweethearts in Carhardts”• 25 CSC Homecoming

CalendarHeritage Review Mari Sandoz High Plains Heritage Center Newsletter

SNEAK PEAK: Director of the Mari Sandoz High Plains Heritage Center, Sarah Polak, speaks with visitor Ruth Keen from the First Tuesday Book Club. The club traveled to Chadron this summer to visit the Sandoz Center after reading Mari Sandoz’s book “Crazy Horse.” See page 7 for the story. (Photo: Sue Rusie)

1000 Main St.Chadron, NE 69337

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